Just a few pretty projects

So I haven't been blogging because I have been doing a bunch of house projects.

My biggest projects - I now have new white couches!

I have wanted white couches for a long time.

I loved my red couches but they were starting to fade a little plus with multiple dogs over the years and children, they had lots of dirt and stains that really bothered me.  I knew we could not afford new couches and I love the couches we have, besides the dirt issues, so a plan for slip covers was put together.

First came the figuring out of if I wanted to buy or sew my own covers.  It was decided that I would buy some slip covers (I got them from Target online - Shabby Chic) and then I fit and sewed them so that they were actually fit to the couch and chairs.  I bought some matching white material and made the 2 ottoman covers.  I also bought some colorful material and sewed new covers for the 12 pillows.  These are my spring/summer pillows.  I am planning on sewing new ones and changing it up for fall/winter and of course Christmas.

I really love them!

It was a pretty big project but I am so pleased with how they turned out!

And yes they have already had a few spots on the white, but a baby wipe has easily taken out the spots, plus I can easily take them off and throw them in the wash.  I couldn't do that before!

My other project that I put together for the family room was some canvases with lyrics from some of my favorite worship songs.

First, it took me forever to figure out what songs that I wanted to use, and then I had to pick the actual lyrics.

These are what I chose:

"From my heart to the heavens, Jesus be the center. It's all about you."

(Jesus at the Center - Isreal Houghton.  I think this song is beautiful.  From the first time I heard it I loved it.)

"It's my joy to honor You. In all I do, I honor You."

(Amazing Love/ You Are My King -  I know many people sing this one but Passion/ Christy Nockles is my favorite.  Love this song!)

"All of my life, In every season, You are still God"

(Dessert Song - Hillsong.  This song breaks me.  I can't get through it without crying.  It has a lot of personal meaning to me.)

"Faithful are you Father, to fulfill your every promise.  The desires of my heart are made complete, cause your favor follows me."

(Your Favor - Elevation Worship. Love! I was really torn because I also wanted to write "I give you everything I have, cause I was undeserving, and you chose me".  You know its a great song when I couldn't decide what actual lyrics were my favorites.)

Now, I read on Pinterest that this project was really easy. 

 Stick on stickers, paint over them, peel stickers off.

Um... it didn't work like that for me.

Maybe my stickers were too small or not thick enough.

I used actual paint (Josh got it for me) instead of craft paint or spray paint.  That was not a good idea.  If I did it again, I would use spray paint.

Whatever I did wrong, they didn't turn out too great.

What I eventually ended up doing was buying the same stickers that I had bought before in white.  I then stuck them over the very sloppy letters that were left from the first paint job.

I then used a clear spray paint/glue to stick those down a little.

When that was dry I modge podged to make sure everything was really stuck down and smooth.

It ended up being a much bigger project than I planned, but I do like them.

Josh also had a few projects that he helped me with.

His big project was painting my front door red.

I have always wanted a red door.  It feels really southern to me.

Plus our blue door was kinda faded and scratched up, so Josh finally gave in.

I quickly made that "V" from some ribbon and a cheap letter from Hobby Lobby.

(It now has a 4th of July welcome sign, but that was a fast and easy decoration for the door.)

We also did some work in the back yard.

That table is a very cheap table from Target that we bought years ago.  It was kinda ugly.  I wanted to do a little makeover.  Josh helped me by spray painting the chairs black (they were a neutral brownish color) and then I got an outdoor table cloth.  Alyse added the flowers. :)

Josh also attached some umbrella lights.  (Hard to see in the picture.  They are really pretty at night.)  He also surprised me by buying some red pillows for our chaise lounges that he knew I really wanted.

Now our back yard is ready to relax, eat, and have some fun.

The final little project was a little art display.

It's simply a board with some spray painted clothes pins hot glued on.

All of those projects, along with decorating for 4th of July (I'll show you those later.) and a few other sewing projects, Josh has threaten to "ban" me from Pinterest.

Room Mates

When we got home from Disney, Breeley decided that she didn't want to sleep in her own room anymore.  She cried and cried, which is very unlike her.  She would settle down when Josh and I went to go calm her down, but she really wanted her sister.

One night Alyse volunteered to sleep in her crib with her just so she would calm down.

The next night we had the same problem, but instead of them both sleeping in the crib I put her in Alyse's queen sized bed.

We had been thinking about putting them in a room together for awhile so I decided that we would take advantage of the situation and make the move while the timing was right.  The next few nights they slept in the bed "Little House on the Prairie" style while I moved around closets, emptied drawers, moved toys, etc.  I also ordered 2 twin beds.

Over the next few days we learned that yes, Breeley wanted to sleep with her sister, but she was not really ready to get out of the crib yet.  She was a little bit of a wanderer.  One night Josh came home at 3:30am and she was there to welcome him home.  She also would get up really early in the morning and come check on everyone. 

(When she is in her crib she just rolls over and falls back to sleep.  She hardly ever gets up until 8am.  5:30/6am was not working for me!)

It was decided that we would only buy one mattress and would put the crib back up.

I got a little nervous the first night when Breeley refused to stay in her crib and cried to sleep with Alyse. 

But eventually she figured out that Alyse was still right there in the room and it was ok sleeping in her crib.  Alyse slept on a mattress on the floor for a night or 2, but now she has a "little bed" and she could not be happier.

So now they are settled into their shared bedroom

and playroom.

Both could use a little more decorating help, but it looks good for now.

Blank Canvas - Now A House Full Of Pictures

Every year when I take down my Christmas decorations I get the urge to change things around a little bit.  My house looks so empty when everything is put away and as much as I love the clean/organized feel I also see it as a blank canvas to do some new decorating. 

This year my spot of choice was a wall that had some baby pictures of Alyse on it.  I had never gotten around to putting any of Breeley on that wall so I decided to just make over the whole thing.  I love a gallery wall, so I went to work picking pictures, getting them printed, and framing them.  This week I got Josh to help me hang them all up.  He wasn't sure about all those holes in the wall, but I love the final look.

Since I was working on pictures, I thought that I would also try to create some canvas prints of the pictures my friend Angela took for us before Christmas.  After I looked up prices of canvas prints, I decided that I would try to make some myself.

I used this tutorial that I found on Pinterest.

It was very easy and much cheaper than the canvases you can order.

(I got packs that had 2 canvas - 11x14, for $7.99.  I ordered the pictures off of Snapfish.  I think they were $6.99 each.)

*Note - some how I forgot the scrapbook paper on the edges.  I tried to add them after the pictures were dry, but they looked odd to me.  Very "gappy".  I took the paper back off.  I think I am going to just paint the whole sides black.  (See the tutorial for this to make sense...)

After the canvases were in place I decided to do a full mantle make over. 

This has some Valentine's touches to it too, but I got the lanterns at Hobby Lobby. (I paid a little more than planned for, but I couldn't help it.  They are so pretty!) 

I made the monogrammed picture.

(Frame, material, ribbon, and vinyl cut on my Silhouette.)

That was a super easy project and I really LOVE it.

I also put some canvas prints on a table in my bedroom.

Here is a closer look at them.

Now, onto another project I have planned.....

Craig and his list

So last week, Josh and I spent a lot of time cleaning and organizing this house.  We donated a bunch of stuff, threw some stuff away, and I had an idea that maybe we should sell some stuff too.  I took some of my teacher stuff to a consignment store and then thought that maybe we should put some things on Craig's List.  I have a Vera Bradley bag that still has the tags on it, some Cherished Teddies, a stroller, and Josh has a bunch of his collectibles that we thought we might be able to make some money on.  (All that stuff is still for sale if anyone is interest.....)

Then I decided that maybe we should sell our crib/furniture set.  We bought it when I was pregnant with Alyse and I liked it, but I never really loved it.  I thought that downsizing may be good.  So we discussed a price and I put it on Craig's list to see what would happen.

The next morning I woke up to an email saying that someone was interested in buying the furniture.  Ruth - the lady emailing me - said that she wanted to get it as soon as possible.  We emailed back and forth and she said that she was going to get a certified check made out to me.  I went and cleaned out all of Breeley's clothes and the rest of the stuff that was in the multiple drawers.  A little while later I saw that she emailed me again.  She told me that she would need a driver to come and pick up the furniture so she was going to get me a check for $3,800.  She asked me to please cash that check, take out the cost of the furniture, and then give the $3,000+ to the driver to pay for pick up cost and insurance.  Ummm NO!  I am not going to cash your $3000 check!  I'm not stupid!  I know that check is going to be bad and I am going to be out a furniture set and almost $4000.  No No!  I've seen Teen Mom when that one girl fell for that.  So I emailed back quickly and said, "No sale!"  I was pretty upset about it, but Saturday I got another email that was real this time.  Last night a nice couple came and bought my babies furniture and paid cash. 

So, Breeley had a little bit of a room make over.  Nothing big or expensive, just a cheap crib and new dresser.

Here is what it looked like before.

Merry and Bright

Welcome to those of you coming from Kelly's Korner and The Nester!

So glad to have you here.

Just a little FYI.

You are looking at the house of a police officer, his wife, and 2 little girls from North Carolina.

I have a little bit of a love for my Christmas decorations. 

I really want to point out every little thing, but well... that would make for a really, really long post.  So I thought that I would do just a picture tour of the house highlighting the main decorations.

 I will post some featured items in another post. 

For now have fun taking a glace around the house.

By the way ~ I think decorations look so much better in person!  The camera just doesn't catch the glow and comfort of a Christmas tree. 

(And if you are counting, there are 9 trees. 8 that are 6ft or more and 1 that is 4.5 ft.)

Entry Way

Dinning Room

Family Room

Kitchen

Hallway

Girls Bathroom

Alyse's Room

Breeley's Room

"Mommy's" Room

(I do share....)